The Galloway Viking Hoard

Thu06Dec2018

Andrew Nicholson, Regional Archaeologist, Dumfries and Galloway

7pm

Purdie Lecture Theatre C

In September 2014 metal detectorists working on land in Galloway discovered the largest hoard of Viking objects found in Scotland for over 150 years, and called in the Council’s archaeologist to excavate it. The hoard contained over 100 items, with material from Britain, Ireland, Western Europe and beyond. It includes over 70 silver arm rings and ingots, a Carolingian silver vessel, Anglo-Saxon and Irish brooches, a rare gold pin and a large decorated cross, as well as a significant group of early medieval textiles. The hoard opens a fascinating window on a formative period in the story of Scotland, illustrating links to the wider world, and giving a glimpse of the superlative craftsmanship of the period